BEGGARS OA HORSEBACK. 69 



rise to the dignity of oats, but were certainly 

 capable of unpleasant developments. Tommy's 

 hard, yellow hide remained unaltered by saddle, 

 oats, curry-comb, or any other of its new condi- 

 tions. Looks were not his strong point, but we 

 already relied on him — and there was something 

 attractive in the conscientious way in which he 

 shied at gate-posts, cows in the field, and other 

 startling and irregular objects. 



It was already far in the afternoon when we rode 

 out over the bridge at Dolgelly, where a single 

 trickle of water crept through the central arch. 

 The sky had mackerel backs in it, the trees stirred 

 delicately to a newly awakened breeze, and the 

 barometer was still falling. The puggarees were 

 packed up, and the pink parasol was furled, but 

 they were doing their appointed w^ork, and the 

 change came slowly nearer. In the meantime we 

 went on and up through wooded glens, past the 

 ideally placed little fishing hotel of Thynn-y-Groes, 

 in clear, genial sunshine, without a horse-fly ; and 

 gradually the vague headache, rechauffe from the 



